#poem, Poetry of Francisco Bravo Cabrera

SWALLOWING SWORDS WITH THE PIPER

And I thought time was standing still
when I learned to swallow swords,
before the Big Show left Mulberry Street,
before the clowns had caught the last flight
to a place where I’ll not mention,
nevermore…

I start to write with words I’ve written times before
to fill the pages of my grimoire,
that taught me how a simple man can learn to swallow swords
and how an artful piper can go door to door
from Hamelin to Florida
with feet so sore….

I walked with Harlequin and his deer friends
on yellow streets of plasticine,
while rabbits made their way into his head,
or perhaps just his hat
it’s hard to say.
but I’ll try once again…

Then three blind rats began to dance a minuet
to the rhythm of the piper playing fugues and dirges,
and the drumbeat of the stooge marked out the tempo,
accelerating here and there and then
quite abruptly slowing down the tempo.
to join in with the military cadence they had conjured.
to guide their well worn out boots to oblivion.

C.2025, Francisco Bravo Cabrera – 24 JUN 2025 – Valencia, Spain